Embroidering Luxury Fabrics by Machine

Discover how to embroider speciality fabrics and make gorgeous decor that’s uniquely you!

Add luxurious style to your home with silk, voile and more! Pam “The Decorating Diva” Damour reveals the techniques you need to know to successfully stabilize slippery, sturdy and sheer fabrics using your larger embroidery hoops. Create a chic set of in-the-hoop coasters from matelassé and find out how to make freestanding monograms to embellish anything — even furniture that won’t fit in the hoop! Embroider an elegant shadow appliqué slipcover and learn to align continuous designs to make any length of silk trim you desire. Construct and finish a posh pillow and pretty place mats in flawless style and enjoy Pam’s innovative sewing and design tips along the way!

Lesson plan

21:06

Lesson 1. Matelassé Coasters

Meet your instructor, interior designer and sewist Pam Damour, and get a sneak peek of what you’ll learn in the class. Then make your first project: an in-the-hoop matelassé coaster that slips onto the base of a wine glass or champagne flute.

18:42

Lesson 2. Monograms on Leather & Velveteen

Embroider challenging fabrics and items that can be difficult to hoop, such as furniture! In this lesson, Pam shows you how to create and apply a permanent freestanding monogram to a velveteen ottoman and leather purse.

28:12

Lesson 3. Shadow Appliqué on Sheers

Personalize any chair in your home with sheer appliqué covers that can be custom-designed for holidays, birthdays or any other special occasion! Pam demonstrates how to measure your chairs accurately, draft your pattern pieces, place and embroider your designs, and add a decorative tassel and satin-stitch hem to complete the look.

28:38

Lesson 4. Embroidering Trims

Give your decor a custom look with embroidered trims that match every project perfectly. You’ll learn how to create Pam's continuous rope-border design, including detailed techniques for working with curves and mitered corners. The result is a gorgeous continuous design that you can use for virtually any project!

29:38

Lesson 5. Trimmed Silk Pillow

Apply the border you created in Lesson 4 to a chic pillow project. Pam walks you through the steps for topstitching and tapering the corners of your pillow that will result in a professional finish. Then sew and attach a custom-made welt cord before installing the zipper and completing your gorgeous project.

23:37

Lesson 6. Couching a Silk Pillow

Discover the fun of couching techniques as you use a digitized embroidery file to stitch a guideline. Pam teaches you two couching styles that incorporate decorative twists and free-motion stitching. You’ll also learn how to turn your embroidery into a beautiful pleated pillow.

21:11

Lesson 7. Naugahyde Place Mat

Pam wraps up the class with a customizable place mat project with easy-to-sew mitered corners. Learn how to work with faux leather as you mark and stitch any design of your choosing, playing with pops of thread and fun removable insets as you go.

"I am so glad I purchased this class. The instructions are concise, clear and easy to follow. The techniques have greatly expanded my embroidery options. I will not be taking my pillow shams apart to embroider them, I will be using the freestanding technique on my pillows." - joycelock518162

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Student projects

Lesson plan

21:06

Lesson 1. Matelassé Coasters

Meet your instructor, interior designer and sewist Pam Damour, and get a sneak peek of what you’ll learn in the class. Then make your first project: an in-the-hoop matelassé coaster that slips onto the base of a wine glass or champagne flute.

18:42

Lesson 2. Monograms on Leather & Velveteen

Embroider challenging fabrics and items that can be difficult to hoop, such as furniture! In this lesson, Pam shows you how to create and apply a permanent freestanding monogram to a velveteen ottoman and leather purse.

28:12

Lesson 3. Shadow Appliqué on Sheers

Personalize any chair in your home with sheer appliqué covers that can be custom-designed for holidays, birthdays or any other special occasion! Pam demonstrates how to measure your chairs accurately, draft your pattern pieces, place and embroider your designs, and add a decorative tassel and satin-stitch hem to complete the look.

28:38

Lesson 4. Embroidering Trims

Give your decor a custom look with embroidered trims that match every project perfectly. You’ll learn how to create Pam's continuous rope-border design, including detailed techniques for working with curves and mitered corners. The result is a gorgeous continuous design that you can use for virtually any project!

29:38

Lesson 5. Trimmed Silk Pillow

Apply the border you created in Lesson 4 to a chic pillow project. Pam walks you through the steps for topstitching and tapering the corners of your pillow that will result in a professional finish. Then sew and attach a custom-made welt cord before installing the zipper and completing your gorgeous project.

23:37

Lesson 6. Couching a Silk Pillow

Discover the fun of couching techniques as you use a digitized embroidery file to stitch a guideline. Pam teaches you two couching styles that incorporate decorative twists and free-motion stitching. You’ll also learn how to turn your embroidery into a beautiful pleated pillow.

21:11

Lesson 7. Naugahyde Place Mat

Pam wraps up the class with a customizable place mat project with easy-to-sew mitered corners. Learn how to work with faux leather as you mark and stitch any design of your choosing, playing with pops of thread and fun removable insets as you go.

The instructor

Pam Damour, Instructor of Embroidering Luxury Fabrics by Machine

Interior designer and sewing professional Pam “The Decorating Diva” Damour has been in love with designing and creating decor for decades. Pam is the co-author of design books Pillow Talk and Cheaper by the Dozen, teaches interior design and sewing workshops internationally, and has produced 12 instructional home decorating DVDs. You can find out more about Pam at her website, www.pamdamour.com.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(9 reviews)

New Tools

by Kjes on February 22, 2015

There are a lot of new tools and techniques that will help me to expand the use of my embroidery machine. I am excited to find starting using them.

Very clear instruction, but may not be a class for the advanced machine embroiderer, but definitely useful for beginners and intermediates.

There are a lot of new tools and techniques that will help me to expand the use of my embroidery machine. I am excited to find starting using them.

Very clear instruction, but may not be a class for the advanced machine embroiderer, but definitely useful for beginners and intermediates.

A diva for sure

by Creative Kitten on January 27, 2015

Pam sure knows her trade and makes home deco look like a walk in the park! A lot of very valuable tips and tricks makes the construction of pillows a breeze. Her templates and tools are a great help. Mine have just arrived and I cannot wait to get cracking ! Thanks for a super class!

Pam sure knows her trade and makes home deco look like a walk in the park! A lot of very valuable tips and tricks makes the construction of pillows a breeze. Her templates and tools are a great help. Mine have just arrived and I cannot wait to get cracking ! Thanks for a super class!

As Advertised!!

by kwineinge5560577 on November 1, 2014

Great instructions. Very pleased. So happy with the video.

Great instructions. Very pleased. So happy with the video.

A Wealth Of Information!

by n.machens892117 on October 14, 2014

This intro was much more than I expected and gave many useful tips . The ideas she inspired are helping on Christmas gift and birthday planning. Unique and elegant ideas from a decorator ; next stop is her class!

This intro was much more than I expected and gave many useful tips . The ideas she inspired are helping on Christmas gift and birthday planning. Unique and elegant ideas from a decorator ; next stop is her class!

Wow! Embroidery options have exploded!

by joycelock518162 on May 30, 2014

I am so glad I purchased this class. The instructions are concise, clear and easy to follow. The techniques have greatly expanded my embroidery options. I will not be taking my pillow shams apart to embroider them. I will be using the freestanding technique on my pillows.

I am so glad I purchased this class. The instructions are concise, clear and easy to follow. The techniques have greatly expanded my embroidery options. I will not be taking my pillow shams apart to embroider them. I will be using the freestanding technique on my pillows.

Frequently asked questions

Absolutely! Pam treats you to a variety of beautiful, fun-to-make projects as she walks you through various methods for working with challenging luxury fabrics. You’ll use a 4” x 4” (100 x 100 mm) hoop to make matelassé coasters, organdy chair covers and a freestanding monogram that can be applied to a variety of projects. You’ll also use a 6” x 10” (160 mm x 260 mm) hoop to create couched pillowcases, continuous trim and customizable place mats.